With relocation to Los Angeles looming, the city of St. Louis has submitted a stadium proposal to NFL owners and the league that aims to keep the Rams in town.
The comprehensive plan lays out a detailed accounting of what it would take to construct the $1.1-billion facility on the city's north riverfront. The proposal includes actionable public funds, something neither Oakland or San Diego can guarantee presently.
"St. Louis has formally presented a $1.1 billion project that delivers more than $400 million in public financing and support, as well as a plan for an ultra-modern stadium on our downtown riverfront that the NFL and the St. Louis Rams will be extremely proud to call their own," task force leader Dave Peacock said, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. "Our proposal is the result of extraordinary teamwork by multiple government agencies, business leaders and industry experts, and is the culmination of intense work over the past 13 months to deliver on the certainty that has understandably been requested by the NFL."
Of the three teams (Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers) rumored to be interested in relocating to Los Angeles, St. Louis has offered the most viable plan to keep its team in its current market. However, there are still issues with a $300-million loan from the NFL's program among them. The loan would be unprecedented in size and commissioner Roger Goodell has already cautioned St. Louis' committee against the availability of at least $100 million.
